A fast-spreading wildfire continues to rage in Greece, prompting local authorities to order evacuations in the capital, Athens. Around 670 firefighters and 32 water-bombing aerial units have been deployed to combat the blaze, which began on Sunday morning near the town of Varnavas, north of Athens.
The Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister, Vassilis Kikilias, described the fire as “extremely dangerous” and revealed that emergency crews have been battling it for over 20 hours under “dramatic conditions,” according to CNN. Strong winds, prolonged drought, and impenetrable terrain in dense, sunburned forests have hampered firefighting efforts. However, Kikilias mentioned that conditions have improved in some areas.
On Monday, fire authorities issued a warning that the wildfire has “developed rapidly” and is heading towards Penteli, about 16 kilometers northeast of Athens. While the exact size of the fire remains undisclosed, Greek public broadcaster ERT estimates that the blaze has spread across 30 kilometers.
Amid the unfolding chaos, Kikilias cautioned that locals might face “extremely high and dangerous weather conditions” in the coming days. Meanwhile, Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis confirmed the evacuation of two dozen children from a children’s hospital in Penteli and announced that health centers in the surrounding region have been placed on high alert. Fire officials also reported the evacuation of two hospitals in the country’s capital.
“Winds overnight remained strong creating dangerous conditions. Unfortunately, their intensity is expected to increase in the next few hours, and the citizens of the areas where the fire is developing should in any case follow the instructions of the authorities,” fire service spokesman Vasilios Vathrakoyiannis told local reporters on Monday, CNN reported.
Officials confirmed that homes have been damaged, though the extent of the destruction remains unclear. The wildfire has triggered fears of a repeat of last year’s devastating wildfires, which ravaged the “lungs of Athens,” a heavily-forested national park.
While wildfires are common in Greek summers, climate experts point to the unusually hot and dry weather linked to global warming as a key factor contributing to the intensity and difficulty of extinguishing these blazes.
